Question
89: I am currently working with a couple of youngsters
who have Tourette's Syndrome. One of my clients is a boy in grade
3. His teacher is interested in having me come and give a short
presentation to the class on Tourette's. My client is comfortable
with this but not sure he wants to be in the class at the time of
the presentation. My
question is what you feel would be appropriate information for a
grade 3 classroom? I want to make sure this works out the best for
my client and hopefully it will enlighten his teacher at the same
time (even though the primary target is his classmates). L.T., NS,
Canada.
Response
Question
55: A
little problem has come up at our local chapter meetings that I wonder
if I can get your input on. C. comes with his Mom to our TS chapter
meetings and sits with the adults in the room where we are having our
discussion. If I start talking to new families about in-services and
how they can help, C. will pipe up and disagree with me that they do
not work. He has done this two meetings in a row. I took him aside after
the meeting to ask him about this, and he said they do not work, and
will continue to tell families this if I bring it up.
I talked
to his Mom about this tonight, and said I had a problem with this, and
she got right pissed off, saying they haven't worked in his case, and....that
he should tell people this.
What mixed
messages are we giving families if this is going to happen? I don't
want to fall into the same trap as schools and tell him that he better
find something to do in the other room during our adult meetings. Am
I totally off-base and out in left field about my concerns here? G.B.,
ON, Canada.
Response
Question
34: I have a request to do an in-service for a high school student
with TS. They are looking for both a session with the teachers and with
students. Since the high school students all have their own timetable,
there is no single class of students that this fellow is with all day.
Do you have any recommendations for strategies on how to approach this?
Thanks, C.W., ON, Canada.
Response
Question
30: It is not uncommon for TS children (even adults) to be sexually
inappropriate, perhaps intrusive and not complying with the cultural/societal
norms. How does one address this in an in-service since the question
has popped up? More importantly, how does one handle this behaviour
to extinguish it? With some young children it seems to extinguish fairly
quickly with talking and substitution training for in public. For others
whom are at the age when this can be viewed as deviant, criminal behaviour--Young
Offenders 12+ and age of sexual consent 14 years--what suggestions for
working with these young people. Some of them are hypersexual....so
some management issues need to be addressed. K.T., BC, Canada.
Response
Question
27: I was hopping you could clear up some confusion with me. Is
ADD/ADHD a LD? Or is LD's just common with ADD/ADHD? All the books I
am able to get my hand on to are vary out of date. And don't give good
information. On top of the fact I seen to live on a back hole for information
an TS, ADD, and the like. I was also wondering if you have any advice
on explaining to College instructors that a I have TS. That I am fine
and nothing will serious happen to me whale I am ticing. (I had some
problems at the end of the semester with caching a flue that made me
tic really bad and some instructors panicking. And I don't wish to repeat
it next semester.) R.J., CA, USA.
Response
Question
16: Hi. You were just in town talking to the kids at [my son's]
school.My son has o.c.d. and he is 12 yrs. old. I did not realise that
o.c.d. was a part of tics....I have been trying to tell the taechers
about [my son's behavioural problems] but it does not work. They think
I'm lying.Igot the doctor to sign a note saying he has it but it does
not help.He is getting into trouble for things he can not help.I would
like to know how to deal with the teachers?My son was very impressed
with you and really enjoyed listening to you. His friend at the school
has tics and him and her talk all the time about there problems, but
when you came to the school and spoke on this he has not stopped talking
about it.Thanks for coming to the school and talking to the kids.BYE.
M.M., ON, Canada
Response
Question
8: Our son, M. (11 years old), was just diagnosed with TS. We are
wondering how to tell his classmates and what to tell them. Your in-service
workshop sounds wonderful. His teacher seems pretty eager to do something
as the other students are wondering why Matthew gets away with certain
behaviours and they don't. What do you suggest? K. and T. F., Ontario,
CA.
Response
